The message is there, loud and distinct; nature throwing all manner of clues into the landscape; spring is obviously on its way. We can taste it, smell it, see it and most certainly recognize its determination to arrive in good time. And this is as good a time as any. We're a mere three weeks' distant from the vernal equinox, after all, and though there will doubtless be some days when it appears we're reverting back to winter (sigh), reality is on the side of nature's cycle in motion.

Today the cardinals welcomed another mild and sunny day, barely a whisper of wind, as they joyously trilled their approval. The female cardinal has taken to visiting the porch at dusk now, as she used to do in years past. There are always peanuts strewn about the porch, available for birds and squirrels and mice, and if raccoons are re-visiting us again, we've had no sight of them yet, but they too may come along at night, as does the occasional mouse.

We're on an altered schedule today, with our return to Standard Time from winter's Daylight Saving. Moreover, we had to keep in mind that our son was leaving to return to Vancouver on a flight this afternoon. We tended, all of us, to our usual preoccupations, then off we went for a short tramp through the woods with Jackie and Jillie.

Snow and ice are both fast melting on the road, making it easier to walk and drive up and down the street. And though there seems a slight difference in the height of the ravine's snowpack, we can tell from the level of detritus that has fallen from the trees and scattered about, littering the forest floor that yes, the pack is slowly diminishing. And as it does, unleashing tantalizing odours for Jackie and Jillie to be attracted to.

Traction on the trails is excellent, all the more so with our cleats. Our son prefers his bare-soled boots and just slides on the inclines, slippery now because a slight layer of meltwater caps the snowpack. Since it's a Sunday there were ample others around and about. Some we've never before seen, some we've been long familiar with. More people with whom we're on close and friendly terms, to introduce or re-introduce our son to.

Emphasizing, if nothing else, both the social-community aspect of these daily forays into the forested ravine, and demonstrating at the very same time the communal attraction of dog-lovers. There is, for the most part, an instant rapport between people walking the trails with their dog companions, and invariably strangers tend to strike up brief and amicable conversations before parting. If they encounter one another often enough, friendships of lasting value are often made.

From such circles of trail-walking, dog-companioning communities people extend their circle of friendship through their interest in and care for others, both human and canine. Which doesn't necessarily exclude people without dogs, since often they too are appreciative of such companions and just take naturally to friendship confined to frequent meetings in a natural environment where friendly faces equal conversations that become increasingly intimate.

By the time we returned back home from our circuit, we had but a quarter-hour before it was time to leave for the airport. Every action has its reaction. When we drive out to the airport to meet and convey back with us a member of our family, it is a joyful occasion. But then, the time together comes to an all-too-brief end, and the reverse journey is undertaken. This time to bid farewell until the next visit, and though this is life reflecting our different trajectories, we are left a little saddened.

Even Jackie and Jillie know something different is happening. They sense our emotional state and become anxious. When we pick someone up at the airport they stay home to await our return. When we drop someone off at the airport, we take them with us. So they shared this journey, and now will have to adjust to the house being a little quieter as it returns to 'normal'; the presence of four of us, my husband and me, and our two little companions.